Whether we like them or not, we all know a fairy tale or two. After all, they’re some kind of a multi-purpose tool. Can’t sleep? Your mom will read you a fairy tale. Acting a little naughty? Your mom will pull out a scary fairy tale. Bored? Act out a fairy tale with friends. But there will be a point in time wherein all the magic just disappears. We grow up and realize that none of it is true, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy these stories. We continue to entertain ourselves with the idea of magical creatures, spells, and even villainous evils. Well, Burn the Witch is something like that.

Discussion Time

From the creator of Bleach, Tite Kubo presents us yet another modern fantasy set in the same world as Bleach. This time, however, Kubo brings us to London. This time, there are two parts of London: the Front London and the Reverse London. The Reverse London is where people who can see dragons live. Yes, you read that right. The dragons from the stories of old exist in this series. It is, however, strictly prohibited to touch a dragon. Doing so can mean years of imprisonment or even death. The only ones allowed to interact with them are the witches and wizards.

1. Dragons in a Different Light

The real highlight of the series is redefining what dragons truly are. Rather than the reptilian creatures we all know and familiar with, dragons in this series take different shapes and forms. From round, pots, square, rectangular, and the typical winged behemoths, there are just too many to list. They also have various skills and uses. Since this is a shounen manga, evil dragons can’t be missing. These dragons are called dark dragons and the worst are called Marchens, which are named after famous Fairy Tales. An example of which is Cinderella. That being said, it’s probably best to read the series with a fresh mind and no expectations of what dragons should be.

2. Begs for More

Four chapters are in no way enough to build an entirely new world from scratch. Not a good world with a solid foundation, at least. While Kubo manages to lay down the groundwork, far too many questions and mysteries are still left unanswered. Even the introduction of Marchens and the fight against one of the top brass felt rushed and rather lacked build up. Don’t get us wrong. We like the premise and we think it has a lot of promise. However, volume 1 sheds light to too little things for us to get a clear grasp of its world, which obviously results in us wanting for more.

1. Will There Be More?

It’s important to note that the series still doesn’t have a chapter 5, more so a second volume. There are talks and rumors that it may come out this year, but there’s still no official announcement. The chances of it getting continued somehow gets slimmer as there are rumors that Bleach may be coming back to join Naruto, One Piece, and Dragon Ball in the limelight. We have yet to hear anything official, so take this information with a grain of salt.

Final Thoughts

Burn the Witch has a really interesting premise. Even though it’s set in the same world as Bleach, we can barely see any trace of Bleach in it. It has its own world and lore, which are yet to be explored. It being quite short, however, fails to deliver enough information for the readers to fully grasp what the series is all about. Furthermore, we are just getting to know the main characters when the volume suddenly ends. Sadly, we can only hope and pray that more volumes are coming our way.

Writer

Author: Christian Markle

I am a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. I love watching anime, reading manga, and writing my own stories. Watch out in the future as you may see one of my works one day. Manga and anime were big parts of my childhood. I grew up watching Yu Yu Hakusho, Slam Dunk, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. Those were probably one of the happiest and most carefree days of my life. In fact, most of my values are probably molded by manga. No, that's not an exaggeration.

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